Cosmographie in four bookes : containing the chorographie and historie of the whole vvorld, and all the principall kingdomes, provinces, seas and isles thereof / by Peter Heylyn.

THE BORDERS.

BEfore we come into Scotland, we must of necessity passe thorough that Battable ground, ly∣ing betwixt both Kingdoms, called THE BORDERS, the Inhabitants whereof are a kind of military men, subtile, nimble, and by reason of their often skirmishes, well expe∣rienced, and adventurous. Once the English Border extended as far as unto the Fryth, or Strait of Edenburgh on the East, and that of Dunbritton on the West (the first Fryth, by the Latines cal∣led Bodotria, and the later Glotta:) betwixt which where now standeth the Town of Sterling, was an atient Bridge built over the River which falleth into the Fryth of Edenburgh, on a Cross standing whereupon, was writ this Pasport.

I am Free march as passengers may kenne, To Scots, to Britans, and to Englsh-men.

But when England groaned under the burden of the Danish oppression, the Scots well husbanded that advantage, and not onely enlarged their Borders to the Tweed, but also took into their hands Cumberland, Northumberland, and Westmorland. The Norman Kings again recovered these Provinces, making the Borders of both Kingdomes to be Tweed, East; the Solway, West; and the Cheviot hills in the midst. Of any great wars made on these Borders, or any particular Officers appointed for the defence of them, I find no mention till the time of Edward the first, who taking advantage of the Scots disagreements, about the successor of Alexander the 3d, hoped to bring the Countrie under the obedience of England. This Quarrell betwixt the two Nations he

began,* 1.1 but could not end; the Wars surviving the Author; so that what Vellcius saith of the Romans, and Carthaginians, I may as well say of the Scots and English: for almost 300 yeers together, aut bellum inter eos populos, aut b••lli praeparatio, aut infid•• pax fuit. In most of these conflicts the Scots had the worst. So that Daniel in his History seemeth to mar∣vail how this Corner of the Isle could breed so many, had it bred nothing but men, as were slain in these wars. Yet in the Reign of Edward the 2d, the Scots (having twice defeated that un∣happy Prince) became so terrible to the English Borderers, that an hundred of them would fly from three Scots. It is a custom among the Turks not to beleeve a Christian or a Iew complayning a∣gainst a Turk, except their accusation be confirmed by the Testimony of some Turk also; which seldom hapning, is not the least cause why so little Iustice is there done the Christians. In like man∣ner it is the Law of these Borderers, never to beleeve any Scots complaining against an English-man, unless some other English-man will witness for him; and so on the other side; Ex jure quodam inter limitaneos rato (saith Camden in his Elizab.) nullus nisi Scotus in Scotum, nullus nisi Anglus in An∣glum, testis admittitur. This Custom making void in this Fashion all kinds of accusations, was one of the greatest causes of the Insolencies of both sides committed. Besides, there were divers here living, which acknowledged neither King; but sometimes were Scots, sometimes English, as their present crimes and necessities required protection or pardon. To keep in this people, and se∣cure the Borders, there were in each Kingdom three Officers appointed, called the Lords Wardens of the Marches: one being placed over the East, the other over the West, the third over the middle Borders. In England, the Warden of the East Marches had his Seat at Barwick (a Town of great strength, and which for the conveniencie of its situation, was the first thing which the English took care to defend, and the Scots to suprise) of which he was also Governor. The War∣den of the West Marches, had his Seat in Carli••e, which Henry the 8th for that cause well fortified. The Warden of the middle Marches had no set place of residence, but was sometimes in one place, sometimes in another, according as occasion required; the Office being executed for the most part, by the Wardens of the Eastern or Western Marches. But Imperii medium est, terminus ante fuit, by the blessed mariage of the Kingdoms, that being now the middle of one, which was then the bounds of two Empires; these Officers, and the cause of them, the wars, are quite extin∣guished.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Scotland